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Monday, November 25, 2013

Packers and Vikings tie 26-26

In a month filled with injuries, woeful defense and special teams play, questionable play-calling and losses, the Green Bay Packers topped it all off yesterday with a rarity in football: a tie. But not just any tie. A tie with -- wait for it! -- the Minnesota Vikings. The 2-8 Vikings.

Ewwwwww.

Which, as many pointed out afterward, is like kissing your sister. And not your hot sister, either. The other one. (Note: no photo will be shared here in order to protect the innocent.)

But it's really almost worse than that. For if not for a 4th quarter rally generated by backup quarterback to the backup (that would be Matt Flynn for Scott Tolzien, for anyone without a program) the Packers were actually in jeopardy of losing. To the ViQueens.

You can read the box score and all the details of what went transpired on other sites. You may even have had to sit through this mind-numbing version of Packers football and watch it. Worse, you might have actually been sitting in the arctic weather at Lambeau Field.

It was not a great day. Only the fifth tie in the Packers' 93-year history, and the first since about 1987, if memory serves.

But, it was at least a partial victory of sorts. What? How could that be? It be. Primarily because both the Lions and Da Bearz lost their respective games on Sunday. So, while we didn't emerge yesterday tied for the top of the NFC North as would have been the case had the Pack won, we did gain half a game on both of those teams because of the tie. Imagine that, Packer fans: three straight losses and a tie and the Pack is only half-a-game out of the division lead. It's been that kind of year.

The Packers don't have much time to think about what might have been. They need to move on to what lies in front of them. Which, at the moment, is the Turkey Day game at Detroit. Head coach Mike McCarthy has already ruled QB Aaron Rodgers out, so it will be between Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn to find a way to put up points. McCarthy isn't saying who's starting, just that both are being prepared. Wants to keep Detroit guessing, apparently. I don't think the Lions are losing sleep over that, do you?

As has been the case each of these past four games, the Packers' defense is a sieve. That's the bigger worry...for Packer fans, that is. Many are calling for defensive coordinator Dom Capers' head. That's not going to happen before the end of the season...if it happens at all. But somehow, someway, Capers and his defense have got to get this figured out. If they fail to do so Thursday in Detroit...well...the season is definitely on the line...and on the linebackers...and on the defensive backs.

We'll write more before the game with the Lions. For now, we can only look at things through very beige-colored glasses instead of our usual green 'n' gold. That's how it is at the moment. Very...meh.